Poll

Where would you like your Power Meter?

Some power meters are built into the chain rings, cranks (Infocrank) or pedals. Some (Quarq and Pioneer) are added to but not a part of the crank. Assuming the power meter worked perfectly, where ideally would you like your power meter?

I am looking for my first tri bike (used) and took everyone's advice and got a fitting. This was the first time I have ever attempted to get into the aero position. Based upon some flexibility limitations in my hip flexor (according to my fitter), being overweight, and having never ridden in this position before, I ended up with fit numbers outside the normal parameters.

I am 6'1" with a 35'' inseam. I have approximately 210 lbs, down from 260 in the last year.

From what I've seen, the stack number is way out of whack based upon terrible flexibility. The fitter told me that with some trainer time and flexibility work over the winter I could get this number down.

So my question is, without a bike I cannot spend time on the trainer working on flexibility. Therefore, should I be looking for something that closely matches the reach numbers with as high of stack as possible and just work my way down over time?

Something like the 2014 Felt B series seems to have a higher frame stack (573 mm) and a narrow reach (436 mm) in size 58.

Thank you for anyone who takes the time to read this an reply. I greatly appreciate it!

Standing barefoot I can touch the ground with the tips of my fingers without bending my knees. The fitter mentioned my tight hip flexors when laying on a bench and bringing a bent knee towards my chest.

Everyone else is pretty well covered it. That fit isn't great at all for identifying the right size bike for you.

Wrong saddle, flexibility limitation is nonsense (as a position-limiter) based on what you've told us, and if we could see pics I'm guessing the saddle height is a smidge too high as well (for the saddle you're riding).

This is ultimately the problem with fit first - it's actually pretty hard to do well and most people claiming they do it aren't providing any value at all. It's just a dog and pony show to keep you from only buying from the fitters that are good at it.

Listing things like crank length and the saddle used is essential information - if one thing was missing I would chalk it up to a mistake, but when nothing is listed I assume the fitter doesn't realize it's extremely important. Without knowing which saddle was used, fit coordinates are turn-by-turn directions that ignore the starting point. If you don't start at the right spot, taking a left and then a right and then a left won't get you where you want to go. But if you know where to start, then those directions can be extremely useful.

But even when it's listed, it can still be ignored. We have a competitor that has, on numerous occasions, told a customer our fit coordinates were bad when their setup led to bad results. But the bad results were because the competitor didn't realize you needed to use the same (or extremely similar) saddle to reproduce the same outcome. I know it seems like it should be Bike Shop 101 stuff, but not so much. Trent Nix Tri Shop - Plano, Texas http://www.trishop.comFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | YoutubeF.I.S.T. Advanced Certified Fitter | Retul Master Certified Fitter

My understanding was this Â“fitÂ” would help me find a frame that fits my body. I would then dial things in whenever I brought whatever biked I ended up with back to the shop.

It doesnÂ’t sound like this was all that helpful in finding the appropriate bike, which is disappointing based upon the cost.

No doubt it's disappointing. And far too common. I'm guessing the bike they'd put you on has no relationship to the report whatsoever.

Let's look at your fit coordinates and compare to a few bikes. Your armpad stack was 773 (to the top of the armpad from the center of the bottom bracket) and your armpad reach was 426 (from the center of the bottom bracket to the edge of the armpad closest to the rider).

A Felt B-series in a 61 has an armpad range of 714 to 793 if you use all of the spacers and flip the stem up to get to that highest point. But the reach on that bike has a minimum (armpads in the rearward position and mounted flush but behind the base bar clamp) of 463 mm, and you're FOUR CENTIMETERS behind that. So unless you are ridiculously long-legged, short torsoed, and have a metal rod through your cervical spine (or have a giant gas tank attached to your mid-section like me), that position is extremely unlikely to be appropriate.

Consider the Felt B-series in a 58 - if you flip the stock stem up and use all the spacers, it gets up to 748 mm for the armpad stack maximum. That means you'd need a +25 stem and use all of the spacers to arrive at those fit coordinates. The reach range on the 58 has a 444 minimum (again, using the stock stem and mounting the armpads in the aft position and behind the base bar clamp) - still 2 cm in front of you.

But the fact that you have such a shallow narrow armpad reach but still have a few cm to come forward on the saddle is more evidence that you fitter wasn't very skilled.

My guess is that, if fit appropriately, the 58 or 61 would be an okay fit in the B14. But I could have told you that if you'd just told me how tall you were. The fit report you got provides very little use in determining your bike size. Trent Nix Tri Shop - Plano, Texas http://www.trishop.comFacebook | Twitter | Instagram | YoutubeF.I.S.T. Advanced Certified Fitter | Retul Master Certified Fitter

If you weren't fit on several saddles and crank lengths, you should ask for a refund.

Nah, we all know "fitter" are perfect. From what I have read, most fitters do not have the tools to deal with different crank lengths.

Wow, 20% of the cost of bike and some wonder why so many are turned away from the sport.

IMO, for a beginner, just guy a used bike. It really is not that hard to get a decent fit by just reading stuff on line.

Oh well, yes, for many, I think paying a fitter is a racket, just like paying to have ones TV adjusted. But, just my opinion. :)

No paying a fitter with no clue and getting a result like above is unfortunately where the industry is, paying a good fitter and getting a proper result is money well spent. Funnily enough, it seems the more they charge the more they don't know. They are so hopeless they don't even know they are useless at fitting somebody, but he did have the fancy electronics and a fancy looking fit bike to fluff the customer out of their money. I could make a bloody good thread by just posting up pictures of fits done by the pro's at a couple of local shops.

No paying a fitter with no clue and getting a result like above is unfortunately where the industry is, paying a good fitter and getting a proper result is money well spent. Funnily enough, it seems the more they charge the more they don't know. They are so hopeless they don't even know they are useless at fitting somebody, but he did have the fancy electronics and a fancy looking fit bike to fluff the customer out of their money. I could make a bloody good thread by just posting up pictures of fits done by the pro's at a couple of local shops.

Indeed.

The shitty-fitter business is still making money, clearly, so until we figure out how to ID and remove them, this will be a game of whack-a-mole. I'm not sure a public flogging by slowtwitch will shame any fitters into doing a better job, but a Wall of Shame would be nice to point folks towards to say, "hey, if you end up looking like this, the fitter's job is not done."

Also, didn't Dan write an article (series?) about how to prepare for a bike fit? I can't find it, and it seems like a useful thing to point to. -J ---------------------------------------------------------------- Life is tough. But it's tougher when you're stupid. -John Wayne

The shitty-fitter business is still making money, clearly, so until we figure out how to ID and remove them, this will be a game of whack-a-mole. I'm not sure a public flogging by slowtwitch will shame any fitters into doing a better job, but a Wall of Shame would be nice to point folks towards to say, "hey, if you end up looking like this, the fitter's job is not done."

Also, didn't Dan write an article (series?) about how to prepare for a bike fit? I can't find it, and it seems like a useful thing to point to. -J

i wrote that here. also, i told you guys how to identify good fitters. ask to see their work. they ought to have a portfolio. there is a field on our fitters database and you can search for those who ONLY have that portfolio field populated.

now, if a fitter does not have that field populated, don't go to him until he does. it's that simple. if he doesn't have a listing on our database, what is it the other 684 fitters know that he doesn't? at this point, if there's that many fitters who've got a listing there, when is it the fitter's lack of professionalism rather than a limit to our outreach that's to blame?

i can only provide so many tools for you guys! if you don't use them; don't know they exist; don't tell your friends/club/FB group they exist; hold fitters accountable to update and use the tools; if you don't read the articles; go in to a fitter with a list of deliverables; ask in advance on the forum for recommendations; i don't know what else i can do for y'all! Dan Empfield aka Slowman